Page 226 - Showsight March 2013

When gaiting, the Siberian Husky should drop his head and carry it a bit forward. His gait
should be balanced and ground-covering, but not exaggerated. His tail may be carried in
any number of ways. The fore and rear leg should be at approximately equal extension, and
the legs meeting under the body should do so approximately in the middle of the dog’s body.
The topline should remain firm and level.
The Siberian’s topline should appear
level. Because grooming and hand stack-
ing can affect the appearance of the
topline, please evaluate the topline not
only by looking as the dog is stacked, but
also by feeling the topline, and watching
it as the dog moves. The topline of the
Siberian should be straight and strong,
but with some flexibility. This flexibil-
ity is different from a weak back. When
viewed from above, the dog’s loin is nar-
rower than the ribcage, and when viewed
from the side, you will see a slight tuck-up
at the loin.
The croup should slope from the
topline, and the tail should be set on below
the level of the topline. The slope to croup
and tail set can be seen when the dog is
moving, but also when the dog is standing
by placing your hand on the croup (feeling
the downward angle) while gently pick-
ing up the tail to see where it is set.
The tail of the Siberian Husky is a
remarkable thing. Some dogs may drop
their tails, while others are carried over
the back in a sickle shape, and others
will wag it furiously. Even when mov-
ing, a tail may be up, down, wagging, or
trailing—all perfectly acceptable. The
most important aspect of the tail is that
it is set on correctly, does not curl tightly
or to one side, and that it is of fox-brush
shape. Remember that you never need to see
a Siberian’s tail over his back in the ring.
Evaluate the hindquarters is while the
dog is moving. But, how a dog stands can
provide some indicators of how the dog
will move. A hock significantly behind
the rear of the pelvis can mean excessive
rear angulation or unequal bone length.
It is important that the angles of the fore-
quarters balance with the angles of the
hindquarters. You can use your hands to
measure the pelvis and thighs, wanting
them of approximately the same length.
From the rear, hindquarters should be
moderately-spaced and parallel.
The Standard allows for variety in
coat color, eye color, and markings.
Although allowable, some markings
and colors might be confusing when
evaluating the dog. For example, a head
with more white might appear broader
than a darker head—even if the heads
have identical conformation. Look at
the underlying structure, not the color
or markings. Far more important than
color is the length, texture, and double
nature of the coat. Long, harsh coats
are not desirable. And, trimming of the
coat, other than the whiskers or feet,
should not be condoned.
When the dog moves away from you,
he may initially not single track. Howev-
er, as the speed increases, the legs should
angle inward under the dog, eventually
meeting the imaginary line under the
longitudinal center of the dog—which is
single tracking. The same is true for the
dog when moving toward you. You want
to see those legs come together in a “V.”
Side movement is the opportunity
to see the proof of your physical exam.
A well-built Siberian gaiting should
appear to f loat effortlessly with no wast-
ed motion. Please require that handlers
move Siberians at a loose lead at a mod-
erate speed. When gaiting, the Siberian’s
head should be carried a bit down and
forward, and remember that the tail can
do many things. A Siberian should move
“within himself,” meaning that the gait
should be a controlled trot.
The Standard calls for the length of
leg from elbow to ground to be slightly
longer than the distance from elbow to
top of withers. In full extension, the
forelegs of the Siberian should meet
the ground under the dog’s nose, with
the rear extension being approximately
equal. The inside rear leg should fall
where the front leg just left, and this
should be under the center of the body
(both front-to-back and side-to-side).
A dog that lifts high in the front or
kicks up in the rear is expending too
much energy moving, often indicat-
ing a lack of balance, poor proportion,
or incorrect speed. Inside legs meeting
somewhere other than the center of the
body, overreaching or underreaching,
could indicate a lack of balance between
the shoulder and rear assemblies, or
incorrect proportions.
Although the Siberian gait should in
no way be exaggerated, it is important
that the Siberian covers ground with a
good stride. Dogs with fast foot turn-
over and choppy gait usually expend too
much energy moving and do not possess
the correct proportion and angles called
for in the Standard.
Watch the topline as the dog moves;
it should remain firm and level. There
should be no bouncing at the withers or
pounding at the front or rolling of the
topline. Any of these may indicate struc-
tural shortcomings, such as straight or
loose shoulders, too much rib spring, too
long in the body, or poor conditioning. It
is when gaiting, that you should see all of
the good qualities apparent during your
226 • ShowSight Magazine, March 2013